Hamilton aren't doing too well either and Ottawa isn't stable market. So who's know what happens in the future for Ontario CFL teams.Originally Posted by Fort York Redcoat
Glad to see you'll stick around for it though. I think it'll be a close race between it and a 10th CFL franchise.
Ontario Argos, though? Would that a merger of 2 or 3 teams? And if so, perhaps renaming them the RougherRiders? Thoughts?
Don't forget, Braley owns the Argos really as a favour to the league. He's not going to be putting money into a new stadium.
Speaking of Blue Jay Ratings. I do find it odd they get higher ratings than the Yankee's in a city with a metro population more than Canada.
I know in the opinion of some CFL is on it's deathbed in Toronto. However, it has it niche market. The practice of giving away tickets has stopped. And the crowds this season have been getting better and better. (noise wise) You have to remember too, there was a time not to long ago where even the Sask Roughriders were drawing less than 20,000 in the stands, now well over 35k average this season.
Personally I'm hoping for a move to Downsview. in a 24-27k stadium.
He's already engaged a construction company to look around for locations for a stadium. Lets not forget he's a senator :P
Ottawa will do fine with the new ownership, SMS and the TV revenue. It was the gongshow ownership that refused to invest in the product. They had 12,000 season ticket holders when the Renegades folded. FYI.
If you consider MLSE bad ownership. I suggest you read into this character.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Glieberman
I hope that's the case. Downsview or York University would be ideal place to play (close to subway and major highway). Leaving 416 region is a bad idea wouldn't sit well for people in the city.
In an ideal world, Argos find a way to stay at Rogers Centre and get Rogers to buy them.
They did some decent marketing this year combined with the hype.
So, I go to the game on Saturday with my wifes cousins here for a vacation from Ireland, and the first thing they ask me is "why haven't you got a roof over the stadium?".
Probably because Sportsnet is on a crusade to jam the Blue Jays & the sport of baseball down everyone's throat.
It certainly doesn't hurt that all the games are on the same place on the dial. We all know how much fun it is trying to find TFC games when they could be on TSN, TSN2, RSN, RSN ONE or maybe even RSN360. The only good thing is that they aren't on GOL anymore.
I don't want to get too off track but the amount of sports channels we have is just overkill. There isn't enough content to justify it all. All there really doing to spreading out the stuff you used to get & charging you more for it. It's not like they are developing all this new stuff to add to your sports viewing.
" Mulder" why are you here on a soccer forum of a pro soccer team, yes we know the CFL is great, the Argos are great, soccer or TFC or MLS will never top CFL football in terms of popularity here in Canada. What else, oh ya CFL does even better on American TV than even the MLS in terms of ratings. Why do you find it necessary that you have to come on a soccer forum to remind us of this, what is your point, I don't get it? Do I waste my time going on a CFL or Argos forum and post facts about TFC or soccer in general, no I don't, what would be the purpose. We get it " Mulder" you get a hard on just from the mention of CFL or the Argos, yes Mulder we get it son.
Because you were spewing incorrect statements and playing them off as facts. The rest was all part of the conversation. Maybe you'd learn something.
Yeah....not going very well for them right now.
Oh, and just because Braley paid for somebody to look at sites doesn't mean he is willing to put up the $200 million + it would cost for a decent CFL stadium in Toronto.
No way the Feds pay for an Argo stadium. Not when they didn't put all that much into Winnipeg and Regina.
I can't find a specific source, and can't remember if the Feds gave anything at all to Winnipeg. Wiki says Bombers paying back 85million, with City and Provence sharing the rest.
Sask may have to scale back it's plans now too with Potash prices dropping.
IMO, If Rogers is kicking out the Argo's they'll be political will to get something done.
Bank on it. The Jays want grass and don't want you playing on it. And I agree with you on the political will. This is why this convo will escalate over the next season. So basically, the most likely scenario where everybody is happy is if a new stadium is built at Downsview. I'll cross all my fingers and toes for you.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Maybe not in Canada. However, TFC will top the Argos in Toronto easily. They probably already have in all honesty and in ten years time, it will be no contest.
Reading and Burnley have good looking basic roofs and are the same capacity. Sporting Park also looks nice if TFC are trying to maintain the open air element...but I think you already get that with the seating breaks in the corners.
Argos or anyone for that matter can not build pro sport stadium at downsview without mlse approval and or involvment. MLSE have an exclusive for Downsview that is part of their land lease for the TFC traning facility. Keep looking...MLSE has NFL eyes for Downsview.
But isn't this exactly the preference?
If political leaning was an issue and you had 2 possible locations:
1 is not yours and has to go through approvals and refurbishings some fans don't care to see or
2 is your property and you could build another bare bones stadium for gridiron use and then expand if another league came to town.
Just spitballing with a hope in hell.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Let's just get a roof and the Argos can go build something at Woodbine. A lot of space out there.
The NFL in Toronto is a non-factor. Their ownership rules make it near impossible for MLSE to own the team. The government is not going to build us a billion dollar stadium after the SkyDome lesson.
Toronto sports got shafted with this Pan Am fiasco. Hamilton got a "new" football stadium to host soccer matches (what was wrong with BMO?), U of T got a pool and field hockey facility, and we got a BMX course in centennial park. Plus we lost out on the Women's World Cup.
The Argos are in a tough position because they lack strong ownership. They had a chance to go to Varsity, to go to York U and to go to BMO. When it came time to put up money, they took the free rent that was offered at the Dome. The team appears to be an afterthought, but their crowds would sell out BMO. The Dome is too big, the sightlines stink, and there is no atmosphere. Imagine watching TFC in there with a crowd of 18,000. Put them at York, Downsview or Woodbine, allow tailgating, and you'd have a much different experience.
As for stadium improvements, we've seen 2 in 7 years. Not sure what the complete decision making behind the grass was. But the north stand was built due to demand. MLSE thinks in terms of $$$, we know that. So until the team starts winning and the stadium is 100 % full, I don't see them making any changes.
Which is ridiculous. Olympic stadium - likely with turf? Haha.
You can blame Joey Pants for that one. For some reason, nobody was able to explain to him that the Women's World Cup is actually a bigger stage then the Pan Am games. And both could have been done here easily.
Staff were instructed, but not by council, to not put the city in for that event. There was a rumour that a Star columnist (Mary Ormsby) was ready to go with a column wondering why and it was spiked.
Consolation will be if the full team plays the Pan-Am in defense of their gold, but being so soon after WC I can also imagine a youth team showing up like what Brazil did.
but mlse can't purchase an NFL team.....who's the single owner?
ALL HELL'S BROKEN LOOSEhttp://gfycat.com/SharpKindArrowana
I think we now have ownership that is not small town, tight fisted, in that they know if you create an event city people will flock to it. (good or bad), Therefore as much to their ability they will try to upgrade the 'event' in every which way.
ALL HELL'S BROKEN LOOSEhttp://gfycat.com/SharpKindArrowana
Canada beat the U.S. in rugby WC qualifying at BMO field today.
TBH, I didn't even hear about this game... I might have considered going.
Anyway, it made me think about the fears of sharing the pitch with others.
Did anyone attend?
Is the pitch still in one piece?
A bunch of UK clubs share grounds with Rugby clubs. Newport County comes to mind. If a League Two team can do it, why can't an MLS pitch survive 9-10 international rugby games?
I'm actually a fan of Bristol Rovers and been to some games there. They share the pitch with Bristol Rugby Club and from what I've seen and heard, the pitch does suffer.
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